Breast-wall brick for cupolas.



R. P. CUNNINGHAM.

BREAST WALL BRICK FOR GUPOLAS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11. 1910.

1,027,821. Patented May 28, 1912.

INVENTOR,

BY MM.

ATTORNEY.

ROBERT P. CUNNINGHAM, OF'I-IOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

BREAST-WALL BRICK FOR GUPOLAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28,1912.

Application filed August 11, 1910. Serial No. 576,743.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT P. CUNNING HAM, a citizen of the United States of Amen} ica, and resident of Holyoke, in the county .of Hampden and State of Massachusetts,

. tractcd, in some cases by the employment of plastic clay; but by the employment of a brick of special character as comprised in the present invention, the breast wall, which requires frequently to be torn down and replaced may in the replacement be built up with facility and perfection especially as regards the provision therein of a flow hole, for the metal, of proper size and character.

The invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings :Figures 1 and 2 are respectively front and side views of the cupola in which the breast wall brick is in: cluded, Fig. 2 being shown in partial ver-. tical section. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the two part brick. Fig. 4 is a perspec tive View showing the brick as integrally made.

In the drawings, M represents the breast of a cupola melting furnace the same comprising an outer wall or shell n of comparatively thin metal having at its lower portion an aperture j, and a lining 0 of plastic fireclay or like refractory material; and A represents the breast wall brick having its location at the said aperture j. The brick A in its entirety is one having a flow hole a horizontally from its inner to its outer side therethrough, the inner and outer orifices or mouths of which hole being respectively inwardly and outwardly flaring; and the brick has in its four sides, which are perpendicular to its vertical rear and front faces, recesses or depressions .7) between its rear and front edges to permit of the binding, when the brick is in its place in the breast wall of the cupola as represented in Figs. 1 and 2 of the same by the employment of a plastic fire-clay or the like, and so that displacement thereof will be prevented.

' As represented in Fig. 3, the brick is made in separable sections 1 and 2 which have within their faces to be adjoined channels 64 extending from the inner to the outer side thereof, the walls at the outer end of such channel being respectively inwardly and outwardly inclined or made flaring, as represented at a whereby when the paired sections of the brick are assembled the hole therethrough created by the said channel will have respectively inwardly and outwardly flaring mouths.

In Fig. t the brick instead of being made of the separable and matching sections is represented as integrally made, the same having, however, the same shape and ultimate adaptability as the sectionally formed brick.

When the breast wall is to be built up in the front of the cupola, in some cases only the lower half section 2 of the brick is fitted and secured in place, an aperture of suflicient size thereabove being left in the breast wall as the same is produced by fire-bricks, fire-clay or a plastic refractory material so that latterly the upper half ofthe sectional brick may be placed in its matching relation with the already installed lower half, a suitable plastic or cement being used in conjunction therewith so that the aperture in the front of the breast wall is entirely closed with the exception of the flow hole through the metal which is created by the channels a, o The mouths of the flow hole being flaring both inwardly and outwardly, respectively at the inner and outer sides of the brick, permit facility of entrance to and egress from the flow hole of the molten metal and insure an avoidance of choking.

Certain users of the cupola have found the employment of the integrally formed brick of the character represented in Fig. 4: most convenient for use in accordance with their practice, while others prefer as conducing to their greater convenience sectionally formed brick such as particularly represented in Fig. 3.

In many cases the lower half section of the brick will be placed in its position at the aperture in the breast wall which is at such time completely formed excepting as to the filling up of the portion of the aperture above the lower brick section; this permits the fire to be lighted through the aperture whereupon the upper half section of the brick is placed in its matching position with the lower half section, and the aperture j above and around the brick is completely closed by the plastic fire clay. The making of the brick in the two matching and like half sections is also advantageous in that the cost of production is only fractional to that which is required for the making of the complete brick in one piece, as represented in Fig. 41.

When the breast wall of the cupalo is torn down, at not infrequent intervals, the workman stands on the ground or floor with his body within the cupola as permitted by the let down bottom, and in the newly building up of the breast wall employs the brick such as here described and shown in combination with the plastic material.

A special advantage of having a brick with, particularly, a forwardly flaring mouth at the front end of its channel is that it enables one, with facility, to stop the front end of the opening up with a conical shaped lump or piece of clay or like plastic material for temporarily closing the flow hole, and which, when conditions have been established for the withdrawing of molten metal, may be readily broken out, leaving a clean and clearly defined delivery hole. The making of the mouths of the hole through the brick flaring shortens the length of the flow hole and lessens the liability of the molten metal issuing from the cupola becoming chilled. I claim 1. A cupola breast wall brick having a hole extending therethrough, the mouth of which at its one end is flaring, and said brick having a recess around the sides thereof.

2. A cupola breast wall brick made of separable sections which have, within their faces to be adjoined, channels extending from the inner to the outer sides thereof, the walls at the inner and outer ends of the channels being respectively inwardly and outwardly inclined and flared, and the said sections having external binder recesses.

3. In combination with a metal melting furnace provided with a breast, an exte riorly recessed block provided with an opening extending horizontally therethrough, a plastic material forming a lining for the breast and closely packed about and interlocked with said exteriorly recessed brick.

4. The combination with a melting furnace provided with a breast wall, a block, having an opening extending horizontally from its inner to its outer side, and provided with an exterior peripheral groove lying in a plane at right angles to the line of said Hole through the block and a lining for the breast wall of packing material having a binding engagement about said block and interlocking in the exterior groove thereof.

5. In combination with a melting furnace provided with a breast, a block provided with an opening extending therethrough, a packing-material interposed between the block and breast and means for interlocking said block and packing material.

6. In combination with a melting furnace provided with a breast, a block having an opening extending therethrough and provided with an exterior peripheral groove lying in a planenormal to the direction of I said opening and a packing-material interposed between said block and breast and filling the groove of said block.

Signed by me at Springfield, Mass, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT P. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLOWS, G. R. DRISOOLL.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, .D. G. 

